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Do you think there will be a price cut on the iPad any time soon after it's released?

4DThinker said:
You can stop. This is text. If you hear something while reading it then please see a doctor. You may have a brain tumor.

As for any other contentious point, please buy your iPad. I never tried to stop you.
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I recognize your attempt at humor, and see it for what it really is: a way to dodge the issue. Care to talk about what I wrote, or did you need to ask some more middle school kids for additional joke material?

Also, I hope you grow up someday to realize a brain tumor is nothing to joke about.
 
BruiserBear said:
.... However, Apple does offer student discounts on a lot of it's products, so it's possible they might offer you a slight discount for that reason.

....
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There is no student discount on the iPad.

A word about student discounts. There was a time when educational discounts were substantial. I purchased my first Mac using an educational discount. The educational price was about 40% off the standard retail price. At the time, IBM offered PS/2s with educational discounts of approximately 60%. Oh yes, the PS/2 was not a game console; it was IBM's family of MicroChannel-based personal computers (renamed Personal Systems) designed with the intent to regain control of the desktop computer market from the PC clones. But I digress....

The point is that we live in a very different era. IBM is out of the personal computer hardware business. Apple still offers educational discounts, but they are now $50-$200 off a system's standard retail price. The Mac mini is discounted $50; the Mac Pro is discounted $200; and other Macs fall somewhere in between. These educational discounts are nice, but they are certainly not dealmakers for me.
 
kdarling said:
Apple will probably keep the price and add features instead.

(As soon as they add a front video call camera, I'll get a bunch for our parents and other family. Until then, it's missing something we all consider crucial for our use. Don't need multitasking, but do need a camera.)
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netbooks have ure camera :rolleyes:
 
santaliqueur said:
I wouldn't even consider Windows.
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Good. You don't appear to know anything about it.
If you can point me to a netbook that can run all of my app store apps, full screen Google Maps, YouTube, and seamlessly syncs with all of my iTunes content, contacts, calendars and mail accounts, I'm listening.
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Obviously only a Touch or iPhone will run app store apps. As for apps with the same functionality both Windows and Android are OSes that have apps for nearly any need. Android market. Android Library. Android devices typically come with Youtube, Google maps, email, contacts, and a slew of other apps.
Oh, that $300 netbook needs to weigh less than 1.5 lbs, have more than 10 hours of battery life WHILE IN USE, not just being on. And thinner than 0.5".
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No it doesn't. It just needs to run the apps I need, go where I need it to, and last long enough to stay running while I'm using it. I've never spent 10 hours in a day on a PC in my life. My soon to be shipped Touchbook and my Archos 9 both handle those needs fine. So does my Archos 5 with Android for that matter. Either of the upcoming Home Tablets from Archos should do fine as well. They are 12mm thick (less than 1/2 inch). Both weigh under 1lb. The 7 is $179, and has USB and microSD ports. It's also good for 7 hours of video play or 44 hours of music playback. If those don't make you happy, then wait another month or two to see a half dozen or more tablets show up on the market that also beat the iPad feature for feature, and for less money. If you insist on a netbook, then Toshiba makes a nice one for $300. 9 hour battery included. Free keyboard. 3 USB ports. More.
 
4DThinker said:
I have a netbook/32gb. ($299)
I have a tablet PC/60gb. ($499)
Both also have USB ports, MicroSD slots, Webcams, mic ports, and can still run any app with the same functionality as the included iPad apps as well as 99% of the useful ones available from the app store. Both play more media formats as well. Both have stereo speakers (yes cheap ones like the single iPad speaker).

What I appreciate about the netbook and PC is their ability to be improved as my uses for them increase. I'd love an iPad too, but until they prove it can print to my networked printer and be memory upgraded after purchase it's not worth $499/16gb to me. My tablet can be used anywhere the ipad could. It doesn't need another PC or Mac for content though.
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The iPad is clearly not for you, then.

If you need to play more media formats than the iPhone OS and iTunes have built-in, then the iPad is not for you.
If you need to print to networked printers, then the iPad is not for you.
If you're running RAM-intensive apps, then the iPad is not for you.
If you need mic ports and USB expansion, then the iPad is not for you.
If you're working with advanced Microsoft Office or other application document attachments, then the iPad is not for you.

The iPad is for people who want a simple browsing/eBook/email/iTunes-movie-playing/light-productivity slate with a no-brainer (and yes, vendor-locked) buy/install app store, simplified user interface and a one-app-at-a-time interface paradigm.

If you need more than that, the iPad isn't for you - and I don't think is marketed towards that demographic - and other solutions like standard netbooks or convertible tablet notebooks would be a better choice.

A very large percentage of the computer-using public likely falls into the iPad demographic. We don't see those people here because those people don't come here. If you're on these forums, odds are you're already too much of a power-user to be satisfied with an iPad.

Addendum:

Personally, I am buying an iPad. I want something small and light I can sit on the sofa with and browse the web, send a quick email, and browse the web. I also would like something to do some light productivity on (specifically, Keynote). I could do a large portion of what I want with an Android device. And I do; I use a Motorola Droid (rooted, with the DroidMod 1.0 ROM and WiFi tethering installed) as my primary cell phone. But I can't get Keynote for it, which is what I use when I give presentations. Docs To Go for Android won't allow me to build PowerPoint from scratch, so that's out (I have it for my phone). And there's no OpenOffice.org build for Android yet, so that's out, too. I figure the iPad will do about 75-80% of what I do on my laptop, but in a smaller, funner form-factor. When I need USB expansion or network printing, well, then I'll walk over to my desktop or laptop and finish the job. But I don't need to carry all that with me at all times. Like I said, the iPad will get most of it done for me, so I find it's worth the $499. Well, $699 in my case since I bought the 64GB version.

As for my wife, for whom I also ordered an iPad - well, she fits the above target market perfectly. She doesn't need any advanced capabilities - email and web browsing with the occasional Pages document is pretty much it. She doesn't need to multitask and she needs a device that's simple to use and maintain. She has an iPhone and loves it. An iPad, she says, would be perfect for her (she's watched all the videos and she's more excited for hers than I am for mine).

If my wife is any indication of Apple's target demographic, they'll sell a gazillion of them.
 
during the last iPod event back in September 2009, Phil was on staged and said that when they lowered the price of the iPod Mini to $199, sales increased, so they lowered the price of the iPod touch from $229 to $199.

I can see Steve Jobs doing the same thing again, saying that when they lowered the price of the iPhone from $499 (entry model) to $399, says increased, so they will do the same for the iPad.

but when will they drop the price, no one but Apple knows.
 
saving107 said:
during the last iPod event back in September 2009, Phil was on staged and said that when they lowered the price of the iPod Mini to $199, sales increased, so they lowered the price of the iPod touch from $229 to $199.

I can see Steve Jobs doing the same thing again, saying that when they lowered the price of the iPhone from $499 (entry model) to $399, says increased, so they will do the same for the iPad.

but when will they drop the price, no one but Apple knows.
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Obviously sales are going to increase if prices decreases...

$500 is a fair price for the cheapest iPad in my opinion. Even if they do drop the price by $100 a month after release I won't mind, I would probably pay an extra $100 today if I could have it a month early.
 
saving107 said:
during the last iPod event back in September 2009, Phil was on staged and said that when they lowered the price of the iPod Mini to $199, sales increased, so they lowered the price of the iPod touch from $229 to $199.

I can see Steve Jobs doing the same thing again, saying that when they lowered the price of the iPhone from $499 (entry model) to $399, says increased, so they will do the same for the iPad.

but when will they drop the price, no one but Apple knows.
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I think the comparisons are not close to being similar.

1st, there was nowhere for iPhone pricing to go but down, even within the larger Apple product matrix.

2nd, I don't think Apple wants to go down the road of PR problems they had with the iPhone price drop.

3rd, with the iPod touch price drop, $229 is a bit strange. There was room for the price to go down, and $199 is just a better number.

Finally, the basement for the iPad is probably $499. There's a lot of room to play around above that - either through eliminating the 16 gb version and sliding everything down accordingly, or tightening the pricing increments. With iPod touch going up to $399, there just isn't any room for big entry level price cuts for iPad.
 
xraydoc said:
If you need to play more media formats than the iPhone OS and iTunes have built-in, then the iPad is not for you.
If you need to print to networked printers, then the iPad is not for you.
If you're running RAM-intensive apps, then the iPad is not for you.
If you need mic ports and USB expansion, then the iPad is not for you.
If you're working with advanced Microsoft Office or other application document attachments, then the iPad is not for you.
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True. Obvious. But you missed the point entirely. I may buy an iPad. I have uses for one. It's simply not competitive (feature-wise) at it's current prices. As such, I predict those prices will come down. I'll also predict version 2 (and 3) will be closer in spec to the capabilities of competitive tablets.
 
acquinn said:
Apple better not drastically cut prices on the ipad like the iphone **** up in 2007. I'm sure they know better now.
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This is exactly the reason they won't do it anytime soon. They learned from that PR disaster. Based on the way they talked about the iPad pricing, I'd think they'll be even less likely to drop the price until they get to version 2, which I wouldn't expect until next year.
 
4DThinker said:
True. Obvious. But you missed the point entirely. I may buy an iPad. I have uses for one. It's simply not competitive (feature-wise) at it's current prices. As such, I predict those prices will come down. I'll also predict version 2 (and 3) will be closer in spec to the capabilities of competitive tablets.
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If there is some missing critical feature, then people who need that won't buy it.

But to suggest that price parity simply on a tabulations of features seems it miss the point entirely.

Are you not familiar with the concept "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts".

You have a bunch of manufacturers taking off the shelf parts, munge them together, graft in an OS from someone else and hope for the best...

Vs.

Complete custom HW/SW from top to bottom. Custom processor/graphics chip designed by Apple. Custom IPS screen designed for the iPad(speculation).

I haven't seen any other design even come close on the hardware, let alone the SW/HW integration.

Until there are tablet that are catching up on HW customization and SW/HW integration, Apple doesn't have to match prices simply based on feature lists. I don't expect this anytime soon (perhaps never).
 
Irrelivant. iSheep are what Apple depends on to pay extra for their products. An iSheep will come up with something to contradict any logic or theory or opinion just to help keep their own wool over their own eyes. Been there, seen that. Thanks for playing though. Enjoy your iPads.
 
4DThinker said:
Irrelivant. iSheep are what Apple depends on to pay extra for their products. An iSheep will come up with something to contradict any logic or theory or opinion just to help keep their own wool over their own eyes. Been there, seen that. Thanks for playing though. Enjoy your iPads.
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Someone comes up with an argument to which you have no response, so you revert to "iSheep"? Typical troll behavior. Yawn.
 
I see iSheep... Looks like

dave1812dave
drtyrell
fabulicious
kernkraft

Get some company.

4DThinker added.
 
deckwalker said:
I fully agree with @Bentron. The price is already amazingly low for such a device; I can't imagine it being any cheaper.
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This. Plus there isn't even an education pricing option on this item so a back to school deal is unlikely.

I think the price is fine anyway where it is, hell I preordered one!
 
The iPad doesn't start at $500, it starts at $499. That's no coincidence. Seeing the 4 in front, for a lot of people, myself included, makes it seem like it's a less expensive product. I'm not spending between $500-600 on a device. It's too expensive. But when it's in the $400-500 category, even if it's at the very very very tail end (and will be pushed over with tax), it looks more appealing.

Maybe there will or won't be a price cut. I could see, with back-to-school coming in September, some deals that will bundle things together, but I don't see a price cut happening. Maybe throw in the iWork apps with a student discount, or throw in a $100 iBookstore gift card that will let you download some novels or textbooks.
 
SchneiderMan said:
Who cares as long as we get our money back..
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Apple was not obligated to give ANY money back. They did so to probably avoid an embarrassing PR story, and to spin the price cut positively for all those affected negatively.

When did so many people feel they were entitled to so much? If they cut the price one week after launch, those who bought it at the higher price are owed nothing at all.
 
santaliqueur said:
When did so many people feel they were entitled to so much? If they cut the price one week after launch, those who bought it at the higher price are owed nothing at all.
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Apple Store Policy:
"Should Apple reduce its price on any shipped product within 14 calendar days of shipment, you may contact Apple Store Customer Service at 1-800-676-2775 to request a refund or credit of the difference between the price you were charged and the current selling price. To receive the refund or credit you must contact Apple within 14 calendar days of the price change."

But I agree, those who buy early on do so because they want to (Me), and if prices do go down in 3-6-9 months from now, Apple doesn't owe anyone anything.
 
Yes, they owe us if their store policy states they do. But if they decide to lower the price and it's beyond any agreement between the purchaser and Apple, oh well.
 
I dont think so. Unless the kindle has a drastic drop in price, (which is another animal altogether). Next Christmas, Ill be up against a decision of which one to buy my mother.

Im am SOOOO on the fence with this. If I knew for a fact that the next model (assuming next year) will have a USB port, Im waiting. Sad as it sounds, the USB is a deal breaker for me. Dont care about all the other stuff..

Maybe Ill buy now and give my mother that one for Christmas so I can get next years.

As far as price drops are concerned, the funny thing is I bought my first iPhone ONE DAY out of the purchase policy when they lowered their initial price. And they wouldn't honor it.
 
Will the price drop? Yes. It's a law.
Will there be a version 2 with better capabilities? Yes. Same law.
How long will it take? 1 year, typically. Same law.
Will a fanboy challenge this post? Yes. Also a law. ;)

EDIT: To prove the last law notice posts 53 and 54. Inevitable. :D
 
Justin122 said:
I like the idea of taking one to school, but I already have a netbook so I don't want to spend that much money on one.

Is my best bet waiting for the "back to school" deals?
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Honestly the first iPhone was too expensive, this device at most if 50-75 over priced for the Wifi and $100 for the 3G. I can see them stop making the Wifi only and just offer the 3G at some point and drop the price $100 per.

I would guess maybe in a year...
 
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